Well as school holidays are here once again, many parents have planned their vacation and what they are going to do while they are off work for a few weeks.
But have you thought about what your children will be doing in thier spare time?
Most homes now

First and foremost:
STRANGER DANGER

Statistically, each and every day, children will be approached online by predators.
Often, they pose as other kids from your local area, and try and get personal details out of your child asking where they live, what school they go to, and where they hang out with their friends, or alone when they are having some time to themselves.

It is therefore imperative that we teach our children to never give out personal details. Drill it into their heads as many times as you can. Nag enough, and it will stick. Also speak to other parents and get them to do the same.

ONLINE SHOPPING

It's not hard for a child to buy something online using your credit card.
All they need is a card number, expiry, and security number from the back of your card, and they're off before you know it.
All of a sudden little packages start showing up on your doorstep, or if they are sneaky enough, you dont notice the packages at all, they just all of a sudden have tons and tons of new belongings. Each new toy or gadget has a perfectly relevant explanation "oh, Im borrowing it from Johnny and I'm giving it back next week" and how are you to prove otherwise?
When you are at home, make sure you put your handbag away, and know where your credit card is at all times. Im not saying to lock your house up like Fort Knox, but in the end, it pays to know where all your belongings are at every given moment.
Another thing is to regularly check your credit card statement. Dont wait for it to come out in the mail; a child can put alot of things on your card in the time between statements. Instead, sign up to online banking, and check it daily, if not every couple of days. I like knowing where every last cent of mine goes.

And lastly,

PORN SITES

Lately it seems that on nearly every non-porn site I visit, theres a banner for a porn site or adult dating site with nude women.
What image is this portraying to our children?
Investing in a good porn blocker is worth its weight in gold.
You dont even need to go out and buy one, if you want its quite easy to find them to download for free by typing the phrase 'Porn Blocker' into Google.

Good luck with the holidays, and I hope Ive helped to make this time a little safer for your children.

This advice was originally written by me for Helium.com and has been changed slightly to suit the Minti Community.